Dear Inklings,
I think that the Staples Student Assembly is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the hearts and minds of the student body. Before I go into detail about this organization, I will explain what it is; I assume that the majority of Staples High School students were unaware of it before the exorbitant numbers of posters proclaiming its existence were placed around the school two weeks ago.
Apparently, Student Assembly is an organization, sometimes picked by elections, that is supposed to represent the student body. However, only the classes of 2012 and 2013 has ever even voted in Student Assembly elections—the other classes don’t even have enough candidates for Student Assembly to fill up the ballot sheet. Thus, one would be hard-pressed to call them a representative body in the first place.
But definitions aside, Student Assembly only continues to matter less and less to students, which is a trend that is unacceptable for a high school of Staples’s caliber. This is mainly due to the fact that there have been minimal major positive accomplishments in the history of the organization, and thus the student body has very little to look up to the assembly for.
Their main accomplishment each year tends to be the talent show, which I will give them credit for, as they have actually held a talent show each year I have been at Staples. The credit stops there, though. Let’s take a look at last year’s talent show. Remember, the one that ended with a hundred seniors jumping and down on the auditorium stage? Now that truly is talent if I’ve ever seen it. The talent in the show was often quite good. The coordinating of it leaving hundreds of kids late for buses and having to cut out a kid’s act? Not so much.
Another idea I’ve heard Student Assembly try and fight for is a Pop Tart toaster in the cafeteria. However, they could get nothing done there because apparently they do not have the “authority”, or money, to put a toaster in the cafeteria, according to one SA member who asks to remain anonymous due to the nature of the subject. Not only that, but now Pop Tarts, one of the most delicious breakfast foods in the cafeteria, have been removed from the cafeteria’s food selection. Nice representing, Student Assembly.
One of the biggest problems I currently have with the organization is that the very people they are supposed to represent do not support them: the Staples students. An Inklings poll, which was taken two years ago and surveyed 100 students during a lunch wave, showed that 52% of the students were dissatisfied with how Student Assembly acts. The other 48% reported that they were “indifferent” to the activities of Student Assembly. This is simply inexcusable for an organization that is supposed to be one of the most important in the school. They have no major accomplishments that students mention, and have become irrelevant to the point that the student body does not care about them. I challenge the Student Assembly this year to change that, as we as students deserve better.
It is for these reasons that some real changes would need to be made to the organization. I am not saying that it cannot be saved. Nor am I calling out this year’s student assembly. I am simply saying that currently they are irrelevant because they cannot get anything positive accomplished.
I dearly hope that this year’s Assembly can make a difference, because there are many changed both myself and many others would like to see. If not, we will see that major change is needed. Whether it is through a new club, major reforms of internal structure, actual elections (with campaigns and speeches), or a student representative on the Board of Education, I am unsure. Whatever it is, the students of Staples High School have a right to a functioning representative body that conveys our beliefs to the administration and Board of Education. And Student Assembly is most definitely not that.
Sincerely,
Jacob Meisel ’13
Editor’s note: Jacob Meisel is a junior at Staples and a member of Staples Student Assembly.
dumb shorts • Oct 6, 2011 at 8:55 am
Inklings doesn’t represent staples students either, get over yourselves.
ND • Oct 18, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Jeez leave him alone yes it is kind of hypocritical for Jacob to trash SA even though he is on it but maybe that is a good thing: He is giving us an insiders view of what SA really is about. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, grow up.
Africana • Oct 5, 2011 at 12:57 pm
jk but i dont know who they are and it sounds like they dont do much or anything at all
Africana • Oct 5, 2011 at 12:56 pm
!
Africana • Oct 5, 2011 at 12:49 pm
SA is just a failure at life…i honestly did not know they existed until i read this…(V)(;,,,,,; )(V) WOOOPwoopwoopwoop
C • Oct 3, 2011 at 11:45 pm
ONE meeting. Hmmm…
response • Oct 3, 2011 at 8:37 pm
About Time:
In no way shape or form did he suggest he is trying to help make a change. He merely rips the organization to shreds. Furthermore, he only joined this year and has been to one meeting.
Africana • Oct 3, 2011 at 5:14 pm
YOURE RIGHT SA SUCKS!! What a joke!! !
About Time • Oct 3, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Finally, I see my frustration coming to fruition! I am glad that a student finally decided to take a stand on this issue, because for too long I pressed for change among my peers and saw nothing. Do not listen to the haters out there Jacob, as they are most likely on Student Assembly and defending it for college. I find it respectable that you are on the organization that you are criticizing, as it shows that you are at least trying to make a difference, other than criticizing it from the outside. Haters gonna hate, but you are right that SA needs change!
smarty pants • Oct 2, 2011 at 10:48 pm
hahahha “Frustrated” this is not in any WAY SHAPE OR FORM libel… get a dictionary
upset • Oct 2, 2011 at 9:07 pm
As “outraged” said, I find it disturbing that you are ridiculing a club in which you are a part of. Instead of publicly humiliating the dedicated students, you should be trying to make these “awful characteristics” of Student Assembly better. In fact, I think it is just plain wrong that you are ripping on a student driven club in the first place that is just trying to make a difference.
This club is run to benefit the student body. We have raised thousands of dollars for the Staples Tuition Grants and have brought fun activities to the school.
Just because we haven’t brought rainbows and unicorns to the hallways does not mean we aren’t successful.
Frustrated • Oct 1, 2011 at 8:24 pm
I can’t believe Inklings published this awful article! It is libel and completely unfair to the people that it is against. I am disgusted by how pretentious you are and I believe that you are wayyyyy too biased. Please reconsider before writing again because you are an awful person and this was a waste of time for me to read. I hope to defend SA and support them in the coming year, because they do not deserve this awful criticism from people as bad as you sir.
TomatoBottoms • Oct 1, 2011 at 8:22 pm
While I agree with some ideas in the article, I believe that you were too harsh because I don’t think SA sucks that much. Sure they can’t get everything we want accomplished, but they try! And I think you need to give them more credit. At least your writing was decent…
- • Oct 1, 2011 at 2:27 pm
I understand the student body’s frustration with Student Assembly’s past efforts but that does not mean that it should not matter to students. If the student body is so upset with the assembly’s efforts then they should focus their energy to giving useful suggestions to the assembly rather than spending time giving it a bad reputation. At a school of almost 2,000 students, getting teenagers to care about something that you’re doing can be a a pretty huge task. This is not just an issue for Student Assembly but for many other clubs too, for example, TAG and JSA. If students continue to believe that the assembly is irrelevant, they will be unaware of any positive changes that are brought to the school. Instead, more students should run to be a part of Student Assembly if they’re upset with the fact that voting does not occur for their grade. Student Assembly members will continue trying their best to represent the student body and I hope Staples students will voice their opinions to Student Assembly members. If they continue to not care about the efforts of the assembly, then they should not be angry if improvements they wanted are not made. It is up to Student Assembly and the student body to work together.
Hawk • Oct 1, 2011 at 2:00 pm
The following is a respectful response to Mr. Jacob Meisel’s letter:
Dear Jacob,
It is true that Student Assembly does not always hold elections for each of the grades. Why is this? Well, the answer lies directly within the student body. The fact of the matter is that Student Assembly is made up of, as the name implies, STUDENTS. If not enough students apply to be on the ballot, then an election cannot take place, and by Student Assembly law, applicants must be accepted into the group without an election.
The main purpose of Student Assembly is to be the voice of the students at Staples. Two representatives from the group are present at each weekly Collaborative Team meeting. They share with the adults, teachers, department heads, and principals present at the meeting that which students at Staples want changed or feel is an issue. Student Assembly is the funnel through which the aforementioned people are able to learn about the issues at Staples. In fact, Student Assembly has only improved upon this, as last year they introduced to the student body their Formspring page, through which they gathered quite literally hundreds of questions, comments, and concerns. Some centered around pressing issues, some less pressing. Yet all of them were shared with the Collaborative Team.
Is getting Pop Tarts back into the cafeteria a goal that Student Assembly will be able to reach? It’s possible. But again: Student Assembly does not wield the power to interfere with a third party organization (Chartwells). Student Assembly’s purpose is not to run into the offices of Chartwells demanding a change in the cafeteria. Let’s be honest: Student Assembly is still a CLUB at Staples High School. Student Assembly’s purpose is to take what students have said about Pop Tarts and to present that information to the Collaborative Team. Perhaps the people who truly run the school will take that information and make a change. Perhaps they will not. But the fact remains that Student Assembly will have accomplished what they set out to do, and what they exist to do.
Everyone likes to give Student Assembly a hard time. Everyone likes to say that Student Assembly does nothing or that they do not “believe the Student Assembly adequately provides for Staples students.” Yet I must wonder: if this is truly how they feel, why aren’t these students getting involved?
Student Assembly had to cancel their annual 5K Run in the Sun last year because there was not enough public interest in it — AKA sign-ups and sponsors. The proceeds of the aforementioned race go towards Staples Tuition Grants, an organization that provides college scholarship money to Staples students.
Everyone likes to complain about Student Assembly and say that “Student Assembly is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the hearts and minds of the student body.” But how can Student Assembly become any better, or do anything more, if so many students in the school and in the town are vehemently against the organization (that has never harmed them and exists solely to represent them in Collaborative Team) for no clear reason whatsoever?
That is my question.
The Fact Nazi • Oct 1, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Misinformed,
This is from the article you posted:
“Lerangis’ opinions reflect the majority opinion in a recent Inklings poll of 100 Staples students in the cafeteria during a lunch wave. In the poll, 98% of respondents answered that they “did not care” about SA elections.
Another question included in the poll, “Does the SA adequately advocate for Staples students?” was met with a similar response, in which 48% responded “No,” and 52% responded “Indifferent.””
Misinformed • Sep 30, 2011 at 10:43 pm
I would just like to say that while I understand the frustration with the SA, much of the information presented in this article is incorrect. First of all, the talent show last year was perfectly planned. The first show went very well, but a certain Staples student (who was being searched for by the SA advisor) snuck onto the stage and threw the timing off. Also, seniors should be allowed to celebrate on their last day, should they not? It was after the fun, entertaining act that had been last of the day, and other students were granted permission to go to the buses if they so wished. The students who missed their buses? They chose to watch the seniors celebrating.
As for the poptarts, the Student Assembly had spoken to Chartwells about getting toasters for them and was hopeful it would happen. However, Chartwells cancelled for the two times they were supposed to meet with the SA, so obviously it was not the SA’s fault that they never happened. And again, the SA had absolutely no control over the poptarts being removed from the cafeteria. This year, they are hoping to speak to Chartwells to put them back in.
Finally, the poll – actually, the Inklings website itself has this quote: “52% of the students polled believe the Student Assembly adequately provides for Staples students, and 48% disagreed.” The color coding, however, was off, which can explain the mistake. However, see for yourself – the majority do at least appreciate student assembly (https://www.inklingsnews.com/news/2010/05/28/examining-the-level-of-democracy-at-staples-students-unaware-of-student-assembly’s-purpose/).
So, basically, I think that SA could be doing a little better, but the students are trying, and the lack of the student body’s interest in getting involved/aware is one of the major causes of its relative unpopularity.
Sean Robdoo • Sep 30, 2011 at 9:59 pm
What a pretentious and ill prepared comment sir. An opinion is an opinion, and it should be left to the educated to express their opinion. Clearly, this individual is informed about the inner workings of this organization, and should thus be allowed to express his concerns with the community, so that we can become aware of the injustice surrounding us.
Outraged • Sep 30, 2011 at 5:22 pm
If you are On. The Student assembly is it not hypocritical to go and write an article ranting about how horrible it is? To me that is worse than anything and frankly disgustingly pretentious.